1. Technical Field
This disclosure relates generally to integrated circuits, and, more specifically, to power management within integrated circuits.
2. Description of the Related Art
As processing demands for processors increase, power consumption and heat dissipation have become an important concern in processor design. Designers typically create processors that are designed to operate in predetermined temperature and power ranges. To ensure operation within its specified range, a processor may include sensors that measure temperature during operation.
Temperature information may be used by a processor for a variety of purposes. Initially, temperature information was used to determine whether a processor was overheating (and thus needed to be powered down). More complex processors may use temperature information to determine permissible operating states. For example, a processor may determine, based on a temperature sensor indicating that a measured temperature of a processor is below a predetermined threshold, to begin operating in an overclocking state until the measured temperature exceeds the threshold.